Saturday, August 5, 1944
CLOUDBUSTER
Page Three
AROUND THE STATION
news from here, there, and everywhere
A member of the second battalion paid a
flying visit, in the true sense of the word, to
Chapel Hill on Monday afternoon. Notifica
tion of his presence came in the form of a
short note which was picked up by First Lieu-
tent Russell Hanson, assistant drill officer, on
the athletic field below Woollen gymnasium.
The note read, “Good luck to all you fel
lows,” and it was signed Lt. (jg) W. D. Gor
don, 2-C-2. Also was listed his present ad
dress: VC-69, Fleet Post Office, New York
City.
* ♦ ♦ )|C *
The Order of the Grail, University of
North Carolina honor organization, has in
vited all cadets to attend a dance tonight,
starting at 2100, in Woollen gymnasium.
Those attending may go either stag or
couple.
* * * * *
“I served aboard the USS Yorktown as a
combat radio-gunner in Bombing Squadron 5,
and so far as I know I am one of two men
living and free from that squadron.”
The above* was written by Cadet Eldred
Whitlock, 57-E-l, on his cadet questionnaire.
Cadet Whitlock, who hails from Kansas City,
has had an interesting Naval career. Only
23 years old he had four years of ROTC in
high school and was graduated a cadet cap
tain. Later he served one year in the National
Guard being discharged as a Drill Sergeant.
Then it was four years in the regular Navy
with the rate of Aviation Radioman Ic at the
time of his transfer to V-5.
After the Yorktown was sunk in the Coral
Sea, Cadet Whitlock was assigned to sub
marine warfare in the tropics on the Atlantic
side. He got into V-5 because, as he puts it,
he’s always been a “bug” about flying.
Ever since this station was commissioned,
the officers and crew in the Welfare De
partment have been planning and giving
picnics and parties for everyone on the sta
tion. That is, everyone except themselves.
So it was that on Wednesday afternoon
the Welfare Department organized itself
into task force number (?) and took off
for Crystal Lake and a fine outing. Hot
dogs, watermelon, cokes and all the trim
mings were served. It was a fine example
of the golden rule in reverse—do unto
yourself as ye would to others.
# # ♦ * ♦
Cadet John E. Smith of the 56th Battalion
has really gone overboard in the purchase of
War Bonds. He recently reported to the war
bond officer here, and requested that, in the
future, his entire salary be invested in Uncle
Sam. Congratulations!
*****
Cadet Sam Phillips spent a year in the
Marine Corps. He is a graduate of Class A
Radio School, and also the Marine Radar and
Radio Maintenance School.
Capt. O. O. Kessing, USN
... He had a story to tell . . .
Capt. 0. 0. Kessing, USN, the first Com
manding Officer of this Pre-Flight School,
returned to Chapel Hill last week for a short
visit prior to returning to the Pacific where
he has served for almost two years.
On last Saturday night at Kessing Hall,
which, incidentally, is named in his honor, an
informal party was held for the former Pre-
Flight Skipper. During the past week he has
visited with his family and many friends in
Chapel Hill.
Capt. Kessing played an important role in
starting the Pre-Flight Training Program.
While in command here he saw the cadets in
training, and in the Pacific he has seen them
in action. “They are doing an excellent job,”
Capt. Kessing commented, “and their train
ing here has proved invaluable to them.”
Until recently Capt. Kessing had charge of
the Naval forces at Bougainville. During the
past year he has been decorated twice, hav
ing received the Navy and Marine Corps
Medal last Summer, and the Legion of Merit
in June of this year.
*****
Five more officers were detached this week,
and two officers who have just returned to the
States from duty in the South Pacific re
ported aboard.
Lt. (jg) Ralph Kifer and Ensign Clifford
Morgan were both ordered to report to the Am
phibious Training Base at Coronado, Calif.,
and Lieut. Archer Reilly was detached to the
NAS at Livermore, Calif. Lieut. George
Parke, Medical Officer, was ordered to Coml2
for further assignment, and Lieut. Charles
Werner, who has been track coach for the
past year and a half, has reported to the
Seventh Fleet.
Lieut. Eugene G. Flick and Lieut. 0. E.
Sanders were both attached to this station.
They will serve in the Military Department.
*****
Cadet John Lasko enlisted in the Navy in
1939 and served at sea from Sept. of that
year until December 28th, 1943.
A year ago this week: Lieut. Frank Kim
brough, head football coach, announced that
football practice would get underway im
mediately. . . . The Vindicators led the
Sports Program by 10 points. . . . Lieut.
Comdr. Lloyd Sauer, head of the military
department, and Lt. (jg) Barnard Wellsh
emerged as doubles tennis champs of the
Pre-Flight School defeating the other final
ist team of Lieut. Andrew Marckwald and
Lt. (jg) T. W. Arnold. . . . The varsity
baseball team returned from New York
where it had defeated a combined New York
Yankee-Cleveland Indian team, 11 to 5. . . .
27,281 fans witnessed the contest, and an
estimated $35,000 was netted for the Red
cross and War Relief.
*****
Twelve cadets were named outstanding
academically for the 51st battalion. They
were R. C. Smith, J. Flynn, S. R. Peachy,
J. A. Bloomquist, J. J. Dougherty, J. M.
Doughty, T. Cassidy, G. D. Fowle, N. J.
King, C. M. Bach, A. W. Gerold and W. K.
Taylor.
Dougherty and Bloomquist were the top
men in the group, the former with a mark
of 3.741 and the latter with 3,740.
*****
Cadet James Webster, 57-E-2, served aboard
the USS Enterprise from November 1940 to
October 1943. He entered V-5 on January
20th of this year, and he hopes to make the
Navy a career after the war.
*****
The departure of David Coverston, Ylc,
on Thursday left the station minus another
one of the original plank owners. “Covey,”
as he was known
around the station,
was a regular con
tributor totheCIoud-
buster. His “Cruis
ing with Covey” col
umn was one of the
paper’s most popu
lar features, and it
will be hard to re
place him.
Covey hails from
Florida, and he spent
a large part of his
time talking about
the wonders of that state. His tour of duty
at this station will be remembered for a
long time for it was while he was here
that he met his wife, the former Miss Vir
ginia Heyward. Mrs. Coverston, who is the
Captain’s secretary, will continue to make
her home in Chapel Hill.
*****
Other than Coverston, LeRoy Mears, RM2c,
was transferred to Port Hueneme, Calif, for
assignment, and Frederick W. Ziegler, PmM3c,
was received from the NAPTCRO, New York,
N. Y.